The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-01-12

] tleE LSNe any NSIOOOO SIlu l'Aopei
sense OF resentment; if they are not the
dogs they are taken for, they viii, whe,.
the time comes, see to it that The men
Who thus contemptuously put this IN
! dignity upon them are properly reward
( ed. II We cannot reorgsnlZe the agrl-
/ cultural department, we can rcorganizc
the Senate. The farmers Of the State
are fast sinking to the level Of serfs-
hewers Of wood and drawers of water for
others. An efficient and representative
board of agriculture, together with an
! agricultural college to act as a pioneer IN
mapping out the new system OF farming
We are compelled to pursue ere We can
expect any change for The better, could
10 much to aid and assist them to re-
cover their lost prosperity. Eut these
six agricultural Solons and their fifteen
professional associates say to them IN
effect: s'You don't know what YOU want.
We will continue to tax you to support a
department of agriculture which you do
not feel is beneficial to your interests as
now conducted, because We like it. We
will vote your money to support the
South Carolina College and Citadel be-
cause we think those schools are al We
need; but your Agricultural College is a
humbug. We know it. Wisdom will
die with us. So we will not even spend
your own money to investigate the mat
ter and let a commission report SO we
can act intelligently."
It may be said the farmers IN the Sen
ate were divided, as they were six for
and six against the bill. Then if the
professional men in the Senate had
needed light as to the wishes of the
farmers of the State. if the actions OF
two farmers convention had no weight,
the almost unanimous vote by which the
bill passed the House, composed largely
of farmers, should have made them hest
tate to postpone it.
But l have my own opinion as to how
this thing was brought about. visited
Columbia three times during the recent
session of the Legislature. I kept my
eyes and ears open. learned great
deal that would be of value to the peo-
pie if I had time to tell it, and I Will,
when occasion offers, let out some of the
'strue inwardness' Of what | saw and
learned. I could tell why and how the
hopes Of the people as regards reforms
and reduction of expenditures, &C., re-
suited only in the cutting off OF a beg
carly thousand dollars-the Lieutenant
Governors salary. I could show that
once an abuse is planted and takes root
in South Carolina it is harder than nut
grass to get rid Of. But just now will
only give my belief as to why the Senate
postponed the bill to reorganize the
agricultural department. OF course
some of the Senators voted against il
because Of their resentment against
'sTillman dictation," for Mr.. Gonzales
saws so; some voted-two at least-be-
cause they never vote against one of the
Senators from Charleston, so I am told;
others voted against it because | am
credited with having had much to do
with the slaughter of the Columbia
Canal and the Ring wanted revenge,
though. to tell the truth, ! am totally
innocent in that matter. Some voted
against it because farmers and farmers
stink in their nostrils. But
the real cause, though many Senators
do not know it perhaps, is that the
phosphate interests of the State are con-
trolled by the department OF agriculture,
and the Coosaw Mining Comply IS too
well satisfied with the present manage
ment Of that interest to allow q change
if it could prevent 1t.
Why board of agriculture should
have anything to do with collecting
mining royalty, farmers OF ordinary in
teligence cannot understand. We do
not see the connection between the two,
but perhaps some Of those who started
this thing, and some of those who keep
it up, can give US light. This board Of
agriculture, which is liked so well, has
spent $4,000 since its creation in 1880,
and we would like some one to tell us
what benefit it has been to us farmers,
who pay for it alone. VIII some Senator,
'sagriculturalist" or otherwise, answer?
Or will some member of the board tell
US? 3. +. TILLMAS.
Roner's s c. January /. 1897.